Schilthorn

• Location: 3825 Lauterbrunnen, Switzerland (10 km from Murren)
• Website: schilthorn.ch
• The ridge: the Alps, the Bernese Alps
• Height above sea level: 2,970 m

Schilthorn is a small peak in the Western Alps in Switzerland , which is 2,970 meters above sea level. In clear weather, the best view of the famous so-called alpine trio is revealed here - the Jungfrau mountains (4158 meters high), Menkh (4,099 meters) and the Eiger (3,970 meters).

Basic information about the Schilthorn peak

In 1959, the former Swiss ski jumper, now a successful businessman Ernst Feuts, proposed the construction of a cable car leading to the summit of Schilthorn. His initiative was supported and in 1963 the funicular construction began, which lasted four years and ended in 1967.

In terms of Ernest Foitz, apart from creating a cable car, there was also the erection on the very top of the world's only panoramic rotating elite restaurant. In 1968, a landmark meeting took place, in which Foitz met with the head of the shooting of the bestseller "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" with Hubert Fröhlich, who filmed the cycle with James Bond. For the filming of the popular movie required a platform in the mountains and a cable car. Ernst and Hubert came to such an agreement that the restaurant will be completed for the money allocated from the budget of the film, and the top of Schilthorn for this will be provided to the full disposal of the crew.

The restaurant was named Piz Gloria ("Piz Gloria"), its interior was personally designed by the same Hubert Frohlich. The idea turned out to be quite interesting: the building slowly turns around its axis and provides an opportunity for visitors, without getting up from the table, to enjoy the delicious beauty of the Swiss Alps . A full turn takes place in 50 minutes. Portions here are great, tasty and hearty, but, unfortunately, and quite expensive. Many dishes are named after Agent 007, for example, a breakfast with champagne "James Bond".

There is also the James Bond Museum, where everything is permeated with its spirit. There is an interactive exhibition, made based on the adventures of the main character "Bond World 007." On the glasses of the restaurant "Piz Gloria" there are well-known marks 007, and the female toilet is made in the style of "Bond-Gerlz", with Bond appearing due to the mirror. near and a small cinema hall, where they show a film about the summit of Schilthorn.

Ascent to the summit of Schilthorn

Interlaken is considered the beginning of a network of narrow-gauge mountain roads. The Interlaken-Ost station will be the first to climb the Bernese Alps. The main stream of tourists goes to the mountains from the very morning, after lunch the practical empty trains. They open windows, so passengers do not interfere with breathing fresh air and at the same time enjoy the alpine landscapes. In structure there are special cars for transportation of mountain-skiing and sports stock. The road passes between the gorges of the mountains. In places where the rise is too steep, a special rack is placed, so that the train can easily overcome this section of the road.

The next station is called Lauterbrunnen and is located at an altitude of eight hundred meters. There is a transfer to the mountain road to the town of Mürren - Bergbahn Lauterbrunnen-Murren (BLM). It consists of two parts. The first stage is a pendant road to the station Gritshalp (1486 meters), which was built relatively recently in 2006. The second stage is a narrow-gauge railway. The length of the road is only four and a half kilometers.

Mürren - a real alpine village, with wooden houses, which are home to only four hundred people. It is a popular resort for lovers of snowboarding and skiing. Cars do not travel here, so you can get to the village only by cable car. Mürren can be reached by a single ticket Swiss Travel Pass , then it does not work.

Then, on a suspension road with a panoramic view, we go up to the intermediate station Birg, located on a steep rock. Next, change and go to the final point - the summit of Schilthorn. The slopes of the mountain here are not too steep and you can walk, but avoid unopened tracks, so as not to fall through the snow to the waist. Be careful with vigorous walking, as some tourists feel a lack of oxygen and because of this, the head begins to spin and nauseated. A bottle of mineral water, open on the street, can explode, like champagne.

Descent from the summit of Schilthorn

From the very top of the Schilthorn you can go down on skis. There are a lot of trails here, all of them well-groomed, as they are rolled away with special equipment. There is a scoreboard that highlights the lifts in green, showing which ones are currently working. If you decide to go back on the transport , then we make a way to Murren on the cable car. From here you can take a mountain cable car or a bus to Lauterbrunen, and further to Interlaken.

You can also go down from the top of the Schilthorn on foot, but it's strictly forbidden to do it on your heels - there is a special sign. Going down, travelers have the opportunity to view the mountain trails, flowers growing on them. The road, of course, is not easy: a narrow path, steep cliffs on the sides, a strong wind, and you can still get into a low cloud that will hide everything from you.

In general, the ascent and descent on the cable car to the top of the Schilthorn is quite expensive, about 70 euros round trip and takes 30 minutes. Tourists wishing to admire the opening landscapes from the observation platform, it is necessary to guess the favorable weather. At some peaks there are web cameras, through which you can see the situation in the mountains in advance. If everything is clouded, then it does not make sense to climb, there's nothing to do here.

How to get there?

In the city of Interlaken, which is the first step on the way to the summit of the Schilthorn, there are two railway stations Interlaken-West and Interlaken-Ost, to which trains run from major cities: Bern , Zurich , Basel , Geneva , Lucerne . By car, take the Autoroute A8 motorway.